That is true, but the script (for everyone else) copes with that by setting the status in the database so that they are skipped next time around.

The problem may be something to do with the version of php or some other environment issue. It seems that there is some problem with accessing the multi-dimensional array in the case of download failure.

I will try to hack the script to avoid that array access, and see what happens.

zepticon, can you pm me your email address so that I can send you a script to try?

I sent you a PM.

This is the database values for a file that i have already seen. It look like it does not skip files unless they are a successful download. In this case i have run the script 3-4 times, and it still tries to download this file every time. As you see the status is 0.

I have written a script (it is still a bit rough around the edges) to scan the phpBB database, find all the inline image links that point to photobucket and then put these links into new database tables.

I have written another script that reads the new database tables and fetches each image from photobucket for local backup.

I will next modify the camoimageproxy extension so that when a page is loaded with inline images, any that point to photobucket will be redirected to the local copy of the files.

Contact me if you want a copy of the scripts. I don't intend to provide much support, so you probably need to have some level of phpBB programming experience to use them.

Not a lawyer but as far as I know this is copyright infringement. You would need the members permission assuming the photo they linked to in their post belongs to them. If it belongs to someone else you would need their permission.

When a member uploads a file this is different because they are explicitly uploading the file to your server.

I have written a script (it is still a bit rough around the edges) to scan the phpBB database, find all the inline image links that point to photobucket and then put these links into new database tables.

I have written another script that reads the new database tables and fetches each image from photobucket for local backup.

I will next modify the camoimageproxy extension so that when a page is loaded with inline images, any that point to photobucket will be redirected to the local copy of the files.

Contact me if you want a copy of the scripts. I don't intend to provide much support, so you probably need to have some level of phpBB programming experience to use them.

Not a lawyer but as far as I know this is copyright infringement. You would need the members permission assuming the photo they linked to in their post belongs to them. If it belongs to someone else you would need their permission.

When a member uploads a file this is different because they are explicitly uploading the file to your server.

This is why I absolutely encourage my users to upload the images to our servers.
Either the terms and conditions changes or those sites go tits up.

We even have a script (a button that shows up at every post if there are external images) for moderators and admins to click on. That script/button transfers external images to our Servers, updates the post with the new Image location and adds a tiny line below the image showing the original location.

Isn't this a whole different topic? You also have to consider if the uploader already had permissions to share said picture. Whoever looked at the pictures before also "downloaded" them already, and I doubt people are browsing topics with external pictures switched off so they're able to contact the uploader and/or owner.

For me it's quite obvious that those questions (should) have been answered long before bulk downloading.

Isn't this a whole different topic? You also have to consider if the uploader already had permissions to share said picture.
...

Lets say someone uploads an own picture to *bucket. Totally ok.
Then someone sees that picture and hotlinks it in a forum. That is a copyright issue, if the original uploader cares.
If that image then gets copied to the forum-server, the copyright issue is the same.

You also have to consider if the uploader already had permissions to share said picture.

Posting it inline is not copyright infringement because the image does not reside on your server. There has already been a few court cases on this, the gist of the ruling is a text link is no different than an inline link. It's simply directions for the browser. It's a whole other matter when the file resides on your server.

When the user has uploaded a file to your server assuming the file belongs to them they are effectively granting you a license to use the image. You have no license to posses and serve the file unless they have uploaded it.

As far as infringing uploads go If you have registered a DMCA agent with the US copyright office you the service provider fall under the "Safe Harbor" provision of the DMCA. The responsibility of any infringing content falls onto the user as long as you are responsive to take down notices and not actively encouraging copyright infringement.

Then someone sees that picture and hotlinks it in a forum. That is a copyright issue, if the original uploader cares.
If that image then gets copied to the forum-server, the copyright issue is the same.

Hot linking is not an issue to the best of my knowledge. I'm not aware of anyone that has been successfully sued for hot linking images. See this article for reference.

While on the topic there is another potential pitfall here. Copyright trolls will look for images that have been uploaded to many sites. They will obtain the rights to them and then you get letter from their lawyer demanding payment.... If you have specifically taken the action yourself to copy the file to your server you will be liable.

I think the law is different in every country.
If you hotlink an image from an online newspaper or professional photographer website you will have a big problem in Sweden and Germany. The author then can send you a bill, and it is expensive.